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The Collin College Book-In-Common Committee Presents A Teaching Guide to Accompany Loung Ung’s First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 1 Contributors Betty Bettacchi Tracey Elliot Meredith Martin Kim Parker Carolyn Perry Debra St. John Cheryl Wiltse Delores Zumwalt Edited by Lauryn Angel-Cann Questions? Please contact : Lauryn Angel-Cann Betty Bettacchi Delores Zumwalt [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 2 Table of Contents Cambodian Buddhism…………………………………………………... 4 Cambodian Culture……………………………………………………… 8 Filmography ……………………………………………………………... 17 History …………………………………………………………………… 18 Literary Autobiography …………………………………………………. 22 Political Science………………………………………………………….. 28 Sociology………………………………………………..………………... 30 Speech………………………………………………………………,…… 33 Additional Resources …………………………………………………… 37 3 Cambodian Buddhism Cheryl Wiltse Shakyamuni Buddha , the founder of Buddhism, is believed to have lived from 623-543 B.C. He was born Prince Siddhartha, heir of a ruling family, who gave up his royal position to search for an end to all suffering. There are three basic types of Buddhism, and Cambodians practice Theravada Buddhism. Theravada is a tolerant, non prescriptive religion that does not require belief in a supreme being. Its precepts require that each individual take full responsibility for his own actions and omissions. Buddhism is based on three concepts: dharma (the teachings of Buddha, his guide to right actions) karma (the belief that one’s life now and in future lives depends upon one’s own deeds and misdeeds; karma follows you), and sangha (the Buddhist community within which man can improve his karma). The fundamentals of Buddhist dogma are the Four Noble Truths : • suffering exists • desire is the cause of suffering • release from suffering can be stopped by ending all desires • enlightenment – buddhahood – can be achieved by following the Noble Eightfold Path (right views, right intentions, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration) Buddha once said that happiness is quite simple: “The secret is to want what you have and not want what you do not have.” At the center of dharma teachings is the belief that suffering and dissatisfaction come from the way your mind responds and reacts to life’s situations. In other words, it is not what happens to someone, it is how he or she reacts to it. So, what goes on inside you, is much more important in determining whether you are happy or miserable than any of the outer circumstances of your life. Buddhism says that you have a choice in the way that you experience your life. It is all a matter of perception. Additionally, many Buddhist traditions teach their practitioners to actively foster love and compassion for others. Examples of how Ung Develops Buddhist Traits/Behavior in Her Characters Chou – It is not that Chou is just naturally quiet, passive; in reality, she is a good Buddhist practitioner. Whenever Loung picks a fight, Chou forgives her. Loung says, “I know the fight was my fault, and yet Chou is not angry with me. For her, the fight is over . I know she will always love and forgive me” (91-92). Chou practices the Buddhist tenet of actively fostering love and compassion. We see this again and again in her behavior. Loung – Even as a young child, Loung understands karma. After stealing some uncooked 4 rice, she knows there will be a consequence. “. bad people will come back in the next life as snakes, slugs or worms. At six years old, I know I am bad and deserve whatever low life-form I will be reincarnated as in the next life” (90). Loung also struggles with the atrocities she sees on a daily basis, yet she can still see beauty. After the death of her father, Loung thinks, “. the world is still somehow beautiful even when I feel no joy at being within it. It is still dark and the shimmering sunset of red, gold, and purple over the horizon makes the sky look magical” (102). Loung, though fallible, follows the Buddhist path. Pa – When the Khmer Rouge tells him that some of his children are going to be sent off to other work camps, you would expect a protective father to scream “No!” However, Pa responds to the news by saying, “It is good for the family to be separated” (75). Pa had once been a monk and knows that clinging to something you cannot control will only cause suffering. Instead, he chooses to see the good in separation. Glossary of Terms Ancestor worship – The practice of showing respect to one’s ancestors in the form of prayers or offerings and the belief that one’s ancestors can help you in this life. Angkor Thom – It is a quadrangle of defensive walls totaling 12 kilometers that once protected the Khmer capital of the same name (Angkor Thom means "Great City"). Built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, the walls are divided by two axes running north-south and east-west. Angkor Wat – It is a temple complex built in the 12 th century located 314 kilometers from Phnom Penh, often called one of the seven wonders of the world. Buddha – The word literally means the “awakened” or “enlightened” one. Dragon/Monkey – The Chinese zodiac consists of a 12-year lunar cycle with 12 animal symbols, having unique characteristics that correspond to the year you are born. The symbols are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig respectively. Gods – Cambodians have a pantheon of gods, many Taoist deities, and many more directly associated with Buddha. These incarnations, avatars, or manifestations of Buddha seem confusing. However, if you think of the Catholic religion with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost as “manifestations” of the one God, then it is easier to understand. Hungry Ghost – It is one of the six levels of existence in Buddhism, dooms to frustration, thwarted desires, and unsatisfied cravings even in the next life because of past transgressions, the Scrooges of the world. 5 Karma – The belief that one’s actions determine prosperity or suffering in this life and the next life. Sangha – The word means Buddhist community Possible Assignments Relating Buddhism to the Novel • Brief individual or group oral presentations on the significance and history of ancestor worship. • Paper assignments: Discuss the idea of “karma” as it relates to one or more characters in the novel. Analyzing Pa, discuss how he follows the Eight-fold path in the novel. Compare the characteristics of the Chinese zodiac “dragon,” the most auspicious of all zodiac signs, to Loung’s characteristics. Literary analysis: Using the idea of bildungsroman (the journey of innocence to knowledge), discuss how Loung changes over time. Using Loung as an example, demonstrate how she is really an anti-hero (anti- Buddhist) in many ways. 6 Websites of Interest http://countrystudies.us/cambodia/48.htm (Library of Congress) http://www.kambodscha-botschaft.de/buddhism.html (Royal Embassy of Cambodia) http://britannica.com/ebc/art-82639 (Encyclopedia Britannica & video) http://www.angkorwat.org (Angkor Wat) http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/angkor/angkorthomindex.htm (Angkor Thom) Collin Library Resources General catalog: Beth Osnes: Acting: An International Encyclopedia (2001) Rudolph Wurlitzer: Hard Travel to Sacred Places (1994) net.Library: Stephen C. Berkwitz: Buddhism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives ( 2006) Karma Lekshe Tsomo: Buddhist Women Across Cultures ( 1999) Nancy J. Smith Hefner: Khmer American (1999) Aihwa Ong: Buddha Is Hiding: Refugees * Citizenship * The New America (2003) Articles: Scott Simon: Interview “Loung Ung, author of First They Killed My Father,” discusses her book and atrocities that took place under the Khmer Rouge regime.” Academic Search Premier “Loung Ung” Literature Resource Center Jon Swain: Interview “I always knew I’d find my sister again.” InfoTrac Other Resources Clare Griffiths: Insight Guides: Laos & Cambodia (2006) Ian Harris: Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice (2005) Jonathan Landaw and Stephan Bodian: Buddhism for Dummies (2003) 7 Cambodian Culture Betty Bettacchi Architecture The architectural jewel of Cambodia is located in Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Kingdom from the ninth century. Built in the first half of the twelfth century, it is the largest religious building in the world, and the most famous temple (wat) in Cambodia. Angor Wat is the Khmer's attempt to represent the universe in architectural form. The temple is surrounded by a moat over 200 yards wide. Its five towers are meant to resemble Mt. Meru, the home of the gods. Today, a combination of neglect, structural weakness and the invasion of strangling trees, threaten the survival of the temple. (Izu) Field Trip Believe it or not, you can see a replica of the temple right here in Dallas. A member of Cambodia's royal family has spent more then a year recreating the temple, using 500 to 1,000 year old stones and statues imported from Cambodia. The temple is located at 5701 Crystal Lake Blvd. in southwest Dallas. 8 Possible assignments: Discuss architectural materials used in building the temple Discuss Theravada Buddhist religion Compare Angor Wat to another famous religious examples of architecture RELIGION Most Cambodians today practice Theravada Buddhism. The ultimate goal of Theravada Buddhism is nirvana or extinction of all desire and suffering to reach the final stage of reincarnation. By feeding monks, giving donations to temples and regular worship at the local wat, Buddhists hope to acquire sufficient merit to reduce the number of rebirths. Every Buddhist male is expected to become a monk for a short period in his life-- usually between the time he finishes school and starts a career or marries. The monks shave their heads, wear yellow robes, bare the right shoulder and go barefoot. They take vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. They depend on the kindness of others for their food and clothing.